Adab Sita-ji: I have a *lot* of Dilip Kumar catching up to do, but from the ones I have seen, Mughal-e-Azam, Andaaz, and Ram Aur Shyam are my favorites! I haven't seen Devdas and Naya Daur, can you believe that? And that birthday thing might just be true ;) Thank you!

I've only seen one film so far with him in it--none other than the grand "Mughal-e-Azam"...and I loved him in it! If SRK is the most Over-the-top actor, Dilip is the most Under-the-top actor...his expressions were so subtle yet SOO effective!

Can't wait for Ghajini! Thanks for the update, Bollywood Fan!Christmas Eve would be an awesome time to go see this....

Yes, my first taste of Dilip was in "Mughal-e-Azam" and I was so new to BW that I just thought he was a moody punk, then I grew to think he was HOT in subsequent viewings of his other work, I finally "got" his appeal. And Shweta, Dilip's is SO CRAZY in the end of Andaaz, I remember ssing that part and thinking "Ahh,SRK is imitating Dilip's psycho performance here, but in almost every part he plays."

And Nawab TheBollywoodFan, with confirmation of your birthday, I present you with this. I choreographed the pom pom work:

Memsaab: I really like this song from Aan, should check out the movie soon. And thank you for the wishes!

Ajnabi: I'm almost on the same boat, but from what I've seen of him, to me, he's already in my top three of all time (the other two being Amitabh and Aamir).

Nida: Wouldn't it be great to have him appear in a film this decade? Even if it is a little guest appearance. He's really good with his facial expressions, true! And I like the under-the-top actor comment :) It's amazing how, as you say, he could be so subtle yet so effective!

Darshit: Thank you dude! Of course, Saudagar! It's been so long since I've seen it, I still have a copy. Dilip and Raj Kumar were great in it. If I recall correctly, it was released the same year as Dil Hai Ke Maanta Nahin. The best presents I can receive are prayers and good wishes, so as long as you send some of those my way, we're cool! :)

Sita-ji: I think (as many others do) there's a lot of truth to that SRK-Dilip connection ;) ROTFL at that YouTube video, thank you, thank you, it made my day!!! That pom pom choreography is brilliant, it fits right in! :P

I adore Dilip, he's sooo emo and brilliant. Though I've seen a million of his young guy roles I actually prefer him as an older guy especially in Mashaal, gawsh he was such a journalist to look up to! And I also loved him in Shakti and even the silly Vidhaata, he tended to have the best faceoff scenes in the Subhash Ghai movies!

Shweta and Richard: We're on the same boat then! :) I've heard nothing but great things about Yahudi and Naya Daur, thanks for sharing your favorites. I have Ganga Jumna, and should probably start with it.

Richard: Thank you for the wishes! I had never bothered to check which actors I shared birthdays with -- Dilip is great!

One of my favorite things about reading this blog is the list I get to put together of great movies yet to come! I am working through all the Filmfare winners in chronological order, so Mugal-e-Azam is up soon for me. I can't wait! Slightly embarrassing question: Is "Ganga Jumna" the same as the over-the-top fabulous movie that I know and love as "Gangaa Jamunaa Saraswati"? And-- happy (belated, now) birthday, Bollywood Fan!

Hi Ellie, and thank you! :) Mughal-e-Azam is one of the all-time greats, and it's immensely enjoyable, I'm certain you'll find much to like about it! Ganga Jumna (also spelled Ganga Jamuna) is a separate film (easy to confuse the names!), here's its Wikipedia entry.

That's a great starting point, going through Filmfare Award winners! Once you're done with them (which I imagine will take some time), I'd encourage you to check out some of the others nominated for the awards too. There are so many movies, so little time... :)

Dilip Kumar and Dev Anand are the only ones left from the glorious days of Hindi Cinema (1950s). I loved him in Azaad - a swash-buckling adventure that starred him opposite Meena Kumari. The movie was so much fun and so unexpected from the *Tragedy King* and *Tragedy Queen*!

Hi Bollyviewer: The more I see of the 1950s, the more I agree with that decade being one of the best. Azaad is on my shopping list, thanks! Although I need to put a freeze on purchasing for a couple of months, because there are so many yet to see (I'm sure all of us can relate to that, LOL). And thank you also for the birthday wishes :)

And Belated HAppy Budday to Dilip saab. I love him in Ganga Jumna (honestly, when I first saw Lagaan, Aamir's dancing in Radha Kaise Na Jale reminded me of Dilip Kumar in Nain Lad Gaye Hain To Manwa Maa), Madhumati and Mughal E Azam. Looking fwd to Ghajini- that Behka song is lovely!

Salamoona and Hello, Yusuf Khan Lala! Remember me? You honored me by inviting me to your hotel when you came to Detroit to introduce Lata at her concert more than two decades ago. I was honored by you. I told you that we both had something in common: You are the FIRST Pukhtun in history to have topped the list of Indian film artists, I am the first Pukhtun in history to have earned a doctorate in engineering. May you live a long, happy, and healthy life! I hope you got my letter.

Disclaimer

This blog is merely a labor of love. It never has and never will contain advertisements of any sort. Copyrights to images, music, and video are owned by the respective content publishers. Copyrights to the text, unless otherwise noted, are owned by me.

I do not blog on behalf of anyone but myself. Please feel free to disagree with my opinions, and read at your own risk. I shall not be held liable for any outcomes, no matter how material or otherwise :) Enjoy!

"See, I wanted to be a director, I became one. Wanted to be an actor, I became one. Wanted to make good pictures, I have done that too. Have money, have everything. But I have nothing left."

Guru Dutt

"The world screams and shouts all kinds of advice and suggestions and actions to be undertaken, but in the end you fight your battles alone. It's just you and your opponent, your issue, your problem."

Amitabh Bachchan

"While we can use cinema as a medium to teach, create awareness, make people think, make people socially more aware, etc., the fact is that cinema's primary purpose is to entertain."